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3 Sheets-Sheet 1.

(No Mddel.)

J. M. WALLACE.

STEERING APPARATUS. No 880,467. Patented Apr. 8, 1888.

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J. M. WALLACE.

STEERING APPARATUS. No. 380,467. Patented Apr. 3, 1.888.

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(No Model.) I v 3 Sheets-Sheet 8. J. M. WALLACE.

STEERING APPARATUS.

No. 880,467. PatentedApr. 8, 1888.

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'NrrED STATES PATENT tries.

JOHN H. "WALLACE, OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI, ASSIGNOR TO JOHN \V. TRISLER, OF SAME PLACE.

STEERlNG APPARATUS.

$PECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 880,467, dated April 3, 1888.

Application filed November 28, 1887. Serial No. 256.354. (No model.)

To a-ZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, JOHN M. ,WALLAOE, a citizen of the United States, residing in the city of St. Louis, in the State of Missouri, have invented a new and useful Steering Apparatus for Steam-Vessels, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in steering apparatus for steam-vessels.

It consists in providing the pilot-wheel with a series of frictionwheels propelled by an engine, whereby the pilot-wheel may be reversed and rereversed at will by the pilot without reversing the engine; and it also consists in providing the friction wheels with a lock whereby the motion of the one set counteracts the motion of the other set and the pilot-wheel is caused to remain fixed at any point the pilot may desire without the aid of an extra brake, the countermoving wheels taking the place of a brake when both sets are pressed against the pilot-wheel at the same time.

The object of the invention is to supply the pilot-wheel with power to move it and hold it stationary from an engine or other power than the power of the pilot, so that he will be the more able to control the wheel under all circumstances, which he is not able to do under the present system. I attain these objects by the mechanism illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a side elevation of the apparatus and pilot-wheel and a sectional view drawn on the line 1 1, Fig. 2. Fig. 2 is an end elevation of the pilot-wheel, the friction-wheels, and a transverse section of the floor of the pilothouse and the frame-work and of the shafts of the machine. Fig. 3 is a side elevation of the modified form of myapparatus. Fig. 4 is an end elevation of the same with apart of the pilot-wheel in section.

1A. is the ordinary pilot-wheel of asteanrves se B is the drum for the rudder-ropes.

G G is theframe-work supporting the pilotwheel and drum.

D D is the floor of the pilot-house.

E EB are uprights, which,with the baseplate F, constitute the frame-work supporting the apparatus.

G is a shaft running parallel with the wheel A and is appropriately journaled in the framework E E Base-plate F isprovided at one end with apulley, P, near the center with two spurwheels, S S, which are beveled and set on the shaft G to face each other and adapted to engage two otherbeveled spur-wheels, which two wheels are attached, respectively, to upright shaftsJJ. These shafts rest in movable rests R R at their lower ends and are journaled in said rests and are journaled in yokes or collars V V, which pass around the shaft G back of the beveled spur-wheels S S loosely, so as to allow the shaft to turn therein, and also allow the foot-rests R R- to move the friction-wheels \V W into and away from the pilot-wheel A.

R R- are rests for the shafts J J to rest on, and in which they are journaled at theirlower 'ends,and these rests aresupported on the framework and are each provided with an elongated slot, at a, one resting upon the other-the elongated slot of the one being farther from the wheel A than the other.

I) is an upright shaft passing through a col lair-bracket, c, which is attached to the base of the frame-work and serves to hold and direct the upright shaft 1). This shaft b is provided at the top with a foot-press and at the lower end with a. wedge engaging the slots in the rests'R R. Above the collar-bracket c is a spiral spring, :0, which is compressed by the collar x on the upright shaft 1).

On the end of the shaft G is a spurwheel, N, which engages a like spur-wheel on the shaft like shaft G on the opposite side of the pilot-wheel, operating to always cause the shaft on the opposite side of the wheel to revolve in a contrary direction from the shaft G, so that the friction-wheels W and the one on the opposite side of the pilot-wheel,which may be designated W, will be caused to revolve in opposite directions,and thus roll the periphery of the pilot-wheel between them. The same sets of wheels and mechanism by which they are operated are on the opposite side of the wheel in Fig. 1, as is seen in the front, ex-

' cept that the pulley P is omitted from the shaft on the opposite side. These can both be seen in Fig. 2,which are designated by VV, S, T, and K, and shaft G, and shafts J J.

ICO

It will be remembered that the shafts G G run in opposite directions and follow the directions of the arrows. The friction-wheels W W bot-h run in opposite directions and follow the directions of the arrows and can be moved to and fro by their foot-rests R R. It will also be remembered that the wheels on one side of the pilot-wheel run in opposite directions from each other and follow the direction indicated by the arrows.

Now, to operate my device you apply the power to the pulley P, which causes all the wheels to revolve in the direction indicated, and whenever the pilot desires the device to assist him in driving the pilot-wheel from the right to the left, Fig. 1, he presses with his foot upon the right-hand foot press or pedal, which draws the right-hand friction-wheel, W, and its mate W together against the sides of the periphery of the pilotwheel, which by their friction cause it to revolve at the top from right to left and at the bottom from left to right. When he wishes to stop, he relieves the footpress of the pressure. and the tension of the wheels NV and W at the sides of the periphery of the pilot-wheel is relieved, and if he desires to be assisted in moving the pilot-wheel from left to right he has but to press the left-hand foot-press and bring the two wheels on the left side together against the sides of the periphery of the pilot-wheel, and it will revolve from left to right, as this set of wheels run in opposite directions from the right-hand set, and will consequently cause the pilot-wheel to revolve in an opposite direction from the first two. If, however, the pilot wishes to hold his wheel in one position, he has only to throw both feet onto the footpresses at the same time and shut the steam off, and one set will counteract the other and the wheel will remain perfectly stationary. Thus the pilot has perfect control of his pilotwheel without reversing or in any way interfering with the engine or the engineer. Figs.

3 and 4 show a modified form of my invention, 5

Fig. 3 being an elevation of a side view of pilot-wheel and apparatus and Fig. 4 being an end view of the same with a section of the wheel A, only differing from Figs. 1 and 2 in the device of pressing the friction-wheels together, which consists of a cord fastened to one end of the rest R and passing over a pulley journaled at the end of the other rest and attached to the end of the lever L in the floor of the pilot-house, so that when it is pressed 5 5 down by the foot it draws the two wheels W and W together against the periphery of the pilot-wheel A, and it also difi'ers in having the, main shaft run crosswise or transversely to the wheel, instead of laterally with it, as it does in Figs. 1 and 2.

Now, what I claim, and for which I ask Letters Patent of the United States to be granted to me, is-

In combination with a pilot-wheel, two sets .65

theirshaftsj ournaled in movable rests, whereby they are adapted to be moved in and out against or away from the side of the pilotwheel, each set of wheels being provided with a propelling-shaft journaled in the framework and united by spur-wheels, and thereby caused to revolve in opposite directions to each other, all operating to cause the pilot-wheel to revolve in one direction when one wheel of each set is pressed against the sides of the pilot-wheel and in an opposite direction when the other wheel of each set is pressed against it. In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand at St. Louis, Missouri.

J OHN M. WALLACE. Attest:

WM. M. EOCLES, CHARLES PICKLES. 

